The new Westin at Denver’s airport is a short walk from the terminal. (Image: Jim Glab)
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock cut the ribbon this week on the striking, wing-shaped Westin Denver International Airport Hotel, the first of a new wave of premium on-site lodging options in the works at key U.S. airports.
The 519-room, 35-suite Westin is only about 30 yards from the south doors of the airport’s Jeppesen Terminal, an easy walk across an open plaza under a soaring glass canopy. In fact, the design theme of the property seems to be big, sweeping curves and huge windows.
Check-in desks and lobby bar are on the sixth floor. (Image: Jim Glab)
Andy Cohen, CEO of the architectural firm Gensler that designed the hotel, said the Westin offers “a new paradigm of seamless travel,” since it combines airport terminal, lodging and ground transportation in a single project.
The airport’s new Transit Center, which is still under construction, lies directly beneath the hotel. When it opens in April 2016, it will provide light rail service into downtown Denver‘s Union Station (a 23-mile trip), as well as parking gates for regional bus service.
The airport’s new transit center and light rail station are right under the hotel. (Image: Jim Glab)
Before the Westin opened, the only lodging for travelers was a few miles away — a string of mid-priced chain properties along Tower Road. Besides offering airport on-site lodging, the Westin also has a 37,500-square foot conference center, an all-day restaurant called Grill & Vine (with a brewpub coming soon as well), a lobby bar, and fitness facilities on the 11th floor including a pool and hot tub and a workout room.
What about rates? The front desk staff at the hotel tells us that room prices can vary considerably, depending on the level of demand. The lowest prices start around $185 a night, but they could soar to $500 or more — although they will generally be somewhere in between those extremes. As a grand opening special, the hotel is offering 11 percent off best available rates plus 1,000 bonus SPG Starpoints per stay. (And by the way: Since this hotel is so close to the airport, we should note that all rooms and windows are thoroughly soundproofed.)
TravelSkills attended the grand opening, so here’s a look at some more of the hotel’s facilities:
All guest rooms have Westin’s signature Heavenly Beds. (Image: Jim Glab)
A pool and hot tub are on the 11th floor. (Image: Jim Glab)
Conference facilities allow same-day, fly-in/fly-out meetings. (Image: Jim Glab)
Treadmills in the fitness room face the airport terminal’s iconic rooftop. (Image: Jim Glab)
The Grill & Vine restaurant faces the Jeppsen Terminal. (Image: Jim Glab)
The walk from hotel to terminal is across a plaza under a soaring glass canopy. (Image: Jim Glab)
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In other words, it is light rail above the Santa Clara VTA’s execrable standard. Their “mission” is to screw commuters so badly that they have to move into the county to have a bearable commute.
To note: this is NOT a “light rail” station. This is mainline commuter rail. It is built to FRA standards, and will have far fewer stops than a light rail line of similar length. Moreover, it will operate at far higher speeds and provide more capacity on larger vehicles.
While I like the concept of having a hotel right at the terminal, and more importantly the new light rail into downtown Denver, this hotel looks SO wrong to me. When I first saw it in person a few months ago, I thought it was a big, tacky “W” – as in Westin – rather than wings. Really sad to see how the original terminal design, evoking the snow topped mountains to the west, has now been totally blocked by this incongruous addition. I guess it’s a matter of function over form. Congratulations ATL, DEN just stole your bad architecture crown.